I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed getting into this story and romance, it was engaging and enjoyed the realism of it. Alissa DeRogatis was able to create the overall atmosphere that I was wanting and enjoyed from this genre and I cared about Ainsley and Lucas. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions and was so well written that I was hooked the whole way through.

Alissa DeRogatis stands out from the crowd as an author with a unique gift: she writes characters who are so deeply relatable that it doesn’t matter if you’ve never found yourself in a similar situation to them - you can connect with their emotions, their challenges, and their growth. As a fan of her debut Call It What You Want, I was delighted to read an eARC of How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle. Here are a few of my favorite things about this book:
- The witty social commentary that Alissa inserts into her scene setting in unmatched. I’d have to pause and think to myself, wait, how does she know exactly what going out while being active on Hinge feels like? Is she in my brain? My city?
- The pacing of Ainsley’s story, both past and present. It was powerful to read how the experiences of her past relationship were influencing her present, and the work it took to overcome past fears to find new love.
- The realistic happily ever after, because let’s be honest - sometimes we read romance for a full escape from reality, but life isn’t all Prince Charmings or billionaires swooping in to sweep us off of our feet. Sometimes love really is found in the cereal aisle, or somewhere equally simple. And while happily ever after isn’t a 100% guarantee, finding someone who will choose you time and time again is definitely a beautiful possibility.

Bonus: the awesome local bookstore Easter eggs throughout the book!

This book waged Emotional War™ on my Feelings™, and I require one billion dollars in Damages™

What a beautiful book.

I loved this authors debut novel! Call It What You Want really spoke to a younger version of myself and was healing to read. So I was excited to receive an ARC of her second book - How To Find Love In The Cereal Aisle and let me just say this was one of my favorite romance reads this year! Ainsley Green is a romance author struggling to find inspiration after her breakup. To get her out of her writing slump, her best friend Lucas comes up with a plan - embark on real life “meet cute” missions. This is a slow burn, friends to lovers romance that I could NOT put down! Alissa’s writing feels like a long candle lit dinner with your best friend, sharing gossip and a bottle of sauvy b wine. Her characters are relatable while also being incredibly entertaining, there were many scenes that had me laughing out loud and tear jerking moments I was reaching for tissues. Lucas and his family reminded me so much of my own family. While this book is a rom com theres also a strong emphasis on finding yourself, friendships and a reminder that you are not defined by your relationship status. Mark your calanders for August 4th!

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC of How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle. After reading Alissa DeRogatis' debut novel in 48 hours I knew I needed to read her sophomore novel as soon as I could get my hands on it. Alissa DeRogatis' has a way with her writing style that transports you right into the story and it feels as if she is writing and telling the story of your life. As a single woman in my twenties, I felt like I could relate to Ainsley as someone looking for love. I really enjoyed the friends to lovers trope going on throughout this book and especially loved how she portrayed the social media aspect of Ainsley's job to be the basis of how she ended up finding love. I do have to say that I really thought she was going to find love in the Cereal Aisle! I will be recommending this book to everyone and I might need to reread it once it gets published!

I really enjoyed this book, but found myself getting very frustrated with the FMC and almost rated this 4 stars if it weren’t for the big pretty bow at the end tying everything together into a full circle moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle by Alissa DeRogatis.

I loved Alissa DeRogatis’s debut novel Call It What You Want, and I also enjoy her content on Instagram, so when I heard she had a new book coming out I immediately added it to my TBR. I was excited to be able to read an ARC through NetGalley ahead of its August release.

This story really highlights the pressure many of us put on ourselves when our lives don’t seem to follow the same timeline as our friends or family. It also explores what it feels like to believe you’ve found your forever, only to realize you may have to start over — even when you feel like you might be too old to begin again.

One of my favorite quotes from the book was:
“Maybe the happy ending is about finding yourself, raising your standards, and never settling.”

How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle has such an engaging and entertaining premise following a romance author who had her heart broken and is trying to live out “meet-cutes” for inspiration.

The book is so vulnerable and relatable, it feels like you’re having a conversation with a friend. DeRogatis has you rooting for the characters and the slow burn, friends to lovers relationship that comes out of it, a little bit unexpectedly for the characters, but beautifully on page.

I love this book so much! Call is what you want was an amazing debut novel and this was an amazing sophomore novel! The characters were likable, it was fast paced, and I loved the two time lines. Such an incredible read! I cannot wait to read what else Alissa will write in her bright career!

This book was a sweet, honest, and emotional story that felt at once realistic and hopeful. Ainsley's character felt so real, and her attempts at meet-cutes were funny without being cringe-inducing. Thank you very much to the author/publisher/NetGalley for the ARC

**Thank you NetGalley and Alissa DeRogatis for the ARC opportunity**

First of all, I’m a sucker for romantic comedy. This book was exactly what it was supposed to be, a romcom, and I loved every second of it.

How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle was so cute and ridiculously easy to read through. The humor landed, the awkward moments felt real, and the whole thing was just incredibly relatable. I have been Ainsley several times 😭 The internal spiraling, the little everyday interactions, the “why did I just say that??” moments, all of it felt very human and made the characters so easy to root for.

I found myself smiling through most of this book because it never tried to be anything other than a feel good romantic comedy, and Alissa absolutely nailed that. Sometimes you don’t need angst or emotional devastation, you just want something that makes you happy while you’re reading it. This book delivered exactly that.

If you’re looking for a light, adorable romcom that will leave you in a good mood (and maybe make you look at the cereal aisle a little differently), this is definitely one to pick up. 5/5 no notes! 🩷